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Thursday, 8 September 2011

Raqib Bshorun

WITH About 25 years of studio practice as well as teaching art, design and craft within the country and outside, Raqib Bashorun is now sharing his vast experience with people of the sleepy town of Iba New Site, a Lagos suburb.
At the art and craft skills acquisition haven, which he christened The Village Creativestudio, some of his past and recent works in woods formed the nucleus of the resource from which he impacts basic knowledge of the profession on skilled and fresh woodwork.
“This is my contribution to the society; there are so much to release,” Bashorun says, while sitting in his living room converted into an art gallery.
From practical works to library-aided, through several hundreds of books, The Village Creativestudio presents a community service aimed at empowering youths.

Past Present (wood)

And for those who have no idea that woodwork could be more conceptual beyond what the regular neighourhood carpenter does, Bashorun assures that the The Village Creativestudio will stimulate woodworking interest and also help professionals sharpen their skills.
However, the relative quietness, perhaps an indication of activities not commensurately available resources of the studio suggests that the people of community are unaware of the huge opportunity to reduce youth unemployment. “Few responses have been received, but not as expected,” he says.
In a country where rise in unemployment only becomes an issue of concern for politicians when election is near, the local authority in Iba New Site has an opportunity to tap from The Village Creativestudios.
Inside the gallery, the amazing works of wood shows Bashorun’s conceptual skill in both functional and decorative designs.
In Past and Present, an assembly of woods from shades of sources such as raw and off-cuts, spiced with a major and finished piece, the artist stresses the strength of woodwork in the context of sculpture.
Also, in Mega Dream comes what appears like another odd mix, though of a decorative flavour, which leads to the curiosity on how the designer arrives at the works, particularly, the tools involved.
Not really a large studio, but the tools there are amazing. In the past, he had to take every piece of wood out for certain details and finishing, he recalls, “but now, I have almost all the tools I need.” Still, the challenge is not over, as the studio is too small to work in.”

Raqib Bashorun

IN woodwork such as the mini library and study-friendly pieces come the dual purpose of functional and decorative pieces. And quite amazing, these works are not nailed.
When Bashorun bowed out of the academics as the Chief Lecturer/Head of Department, Graphics, School of Art, Design and Printing, (SADP), Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, two years ago, he insisted that the journey into his woodwork just took a pause, hence the show marking his academic exit titled, Punctuation.
And that’s exactly what he is doing currently, including a part-time lecturing job at Yabatech. In his post-retirement goal, he had stated, then, was to set up, either with anyone, who shared his dream or a solo effort, a kind of academy or school to help build a design outfit that could help energise the nation’s drive for technological advancement through art.
Bashorun, an M. Ed. Art Education and MFA holder from the University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998 and 2002, respectively, joined Yabatech as Lecturer I, in the School of Art, Design and Printing in 1986.
He was a Visiting Assistant Professor, Fine Arts Department, University of Missouri-Columbia, in 2003.